You have to give credit to Fujiflim—it knows how to design a camera that will turn heads, even at the entry level.
The mirrorless X-A5 ($599.99 with 15-45mm lens) is very attractive, with a silver body and your choice of black, brown, or pink leatherette.
It doesn't disappoint when it comes to image quality, and includes Bluetooth for quick and painless image transfer to a smartphone.
But, even though this model adds phase detection to the XA series for the first time, it doesn't offer consistent autofocus performance.
We still recommend the Sony a6000 as our Editors' Choice entry-level mirrorless camera.
Design
The X-A5 ($499.95 at Amazon) is a slim mirrorless camera, with a silver plastic exterior wrapped in your choice of brown, black, or pink leatherette.
It measures 2.7 by 4.6 by 1.6 inches (HWD) and weighs 12.7 ounces without a lens.
The bundled zoom lens measures 1.7 by 2.5 inches (HD) and weighs 4.8 ounces, putting the kit at just a bit over a pound.
The X-A5 is the first camera to ship with the new 15-45mm power zoom lens, and you can read more about it in our review.
If you buy the lens separately it's priced at $299.
The body includes a built-in pop-up flash, at the left side of the top plate, and it has a hot shoe if you want to add an external flash or microphone.
To the right of the shoe there's a Mode dial, the power switch and shutter release, the Fn button, and a dedicated dial to adjust exposure compensation (or shutter speed when shooting in Manual mode).
All of the rear controls are located to the right of the LCD.
At the top there's a control dial to adjust aperture or shutter speed depending on your shooting mode, nestled into the top of the thumb rest.
Display/Back, Play, Q, and Record buttons are below it, flanking the four-way directional pad's corners.
Directional controls include Delete/AF (Up), White Balance (Right), Drive Mode (Down), and Self-Timer (Left).
The Menu/OK button is at the center.
You'll need to dive into the menu to configure the camera and perform tasks like formatting the memory card, but many more common adjustments are made via the Q menu.
Q offers adjustments to the ISO, autofocus mode, image quality and flash settings, and LCD brightness.
It's where you'll be able to choose your preferred Film Simulation mode—a feature unique to Fujifilm cameras that mimics the look of many films.
Color options include Classic Chrome, a muted look based on rival Kodak's Kodachrome slide film, and on the opposite end of the spectrum Velvia, which mimics Fuji's famously oversaturated and high-contrast landscape film.
There are also black-and-white and more traditional color looks (Provia, ProH).
You don't get all of the looks that Fujifilm offers in its cameras—there's no Acros monochrome option, nor is the new Eterna look included, and you can't customize the level of grain in photos as you can with pricier models like the X-T20 and X-E3.
Unlike pricier models, the buttons on the X-A5 don't have a premium feel.
This is evident not just from the overall plastic build (which isn't atypical for an entry-level camera), but also in the way the control buttons feel.
They press in with a loud click and while they aren't at all mushy, they do feel slightly chintzy.
The X-A5's mostly plastic body certainly contributes to its lightweight design.
But it also benefits from being a mirrorless camera—one that has an image sensor that's as big as you'll find in a consumer SLR, but without the extra weight necessitated by a flipping mirror and optical viewfinder.
Some mirrorless models include a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF), but the X-A5 doesn't—it relies solely on its rear display.
The LCD itself is premium, 3 inches in size with a crisp 1,040k-dot resolution and adjustable brightness that can be pumped up high for use outdoors on bright, sunny days.
It's touch sensitive, so you can tap on screen to set your focus point, swipe through images during playback, and navigate menus by touch.
The display is mounted on a hinge; it tilts up and down for low and high angle photography, and faces all the way forward for selfies.
Connectivity and Power
The X-A5 adds Bluetooth to the wireless bag of tricks, supplementing Wi-Fi to keep the connection between camera and phone active.
I was able to use it to keep the camera's clock set correctly, but not for file transfers.
You will need the Fujifilm Cam Remote app, free for Android and iOS, for file transfers and remote control to work.
Image transfer is not available via Bluetooth, so you'll still need to connect to the X-A5's Wi-Fi network, in some cases manually.
The Android app is able to change the network for you, but iOS doesn't let apps do that, so you'll need to intervene manually if your phone is already on a known network.
Physical connections include micro USB (which is used for charging the battery), micro HDMI, and a 2.5mm microphone input.
There's a standard SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot, located in the bottom of the same compartment as the removable battery.
The X-A5 uses the same battery as other Fujifilm mirrorless cameras; it's good for about 450 shots per charge according to CIPA testing standards.
Performance and Autofocus
The X-A5 requires about 2.5 seconds to start, focus, and fire with the 15-45mm lens.
I also checked the start-up time with the 35mm F2, a combination that netted a quicker 2.1-second time.
The 15-45mm needs to power on and extend to get ready to capture an image, which accounts for the difference.
The X-A5 has an on-sensor, hybrid autofocus system that incorporates contrast detection throughout the frame as well as phase detection in the center.
It's an ostensible upgrade from the pure contrast system used by the previous entry in the series, the X-A3.
See How We Test Digital Cameras
And when phase detection kicks in, the X-A5 focuses quickly, locking on to a target in a scant 0.1-second.
But it doesn't always work, even when the focus area is set to the central portion of the frame.
When the camera reverts to contrast focus it can take as long as 0.5-second to lock on, which is long enough for you to miss a shot.
The Sony a6000 also has a hybrid focus system, but is speedy even when it reverts to contrast acquisition.
The X-A5 has a decent burst capture rate, 6fps with locked focus, but a very small buffer.
It can only keep that pace for 6 Raw or Raw+JPG captures or 22 JPGs, and it can take between 3 seconds (JPG) and 10 seconds (Raw+JPG) to write a full burst to your memory card.
Switching to continuous focus—the mode you'll want to use when photographing moving subjects—slows the burst rate to about 4.6fps.
That's not bad for an entry-level camera, but the X-A5 doesn't do well keeping shots in focus.
It's slow to adjust to changes in focus, resulting in many shots in a row that are blurred.
Compare this with the a6000, which is just $50 more when bought with a lens and manages to keep moving subjects in focus at 11fps.
There is also an option to shoot at 15fps, but not in Raw format and not at 24MP.
The X-A5 utilizes its 4K video capture mode to shoot a movie, from which the camera can extract any frame.
The resulting JPG is 8MP, fine for social sharing or small prints.
As with stills focus will adjust when recording video, but can be slow to adjust to subject movement.
Imaging and Video
The X-A5 has a 24MP APS-C sensor.
Unlike other Fujifilm cameras, it uses a standard Bayer color filter, rather than the more complex X-Trans color filter, a technology that is exclusive to Fujifilm cameras.
X-Trans sensors pick up more detail as their design doesn't incorporate an Optical Low Pass Filter (OLPF), and also benefit from a more pleasing grain pattern with less color noise at higher ISO settings due to their six-by-six repeating color filter array, compared with the four-by-four pattern of a Bayer filter.
When shooting JPGs the X-A5 does an excellent job curbing image noise, keeping it under 1.5 percent through its top standard ISO 12800 sensitivity.
And while there is a bit of loss of fine detail when pushing the camera that far, image quality remains quite strong.
Just one stop down, at ISO 6400, JPG image quality is very strong, almost as good as it is at the camera's lowest ISO 200 setting, and at ISO 3200 the difference is nearly indistinguishable.
When shooting JPGs there are extended ISO settings available—as low as ISO 100 and as high as ISO 51200—but you need to dive into the camera menu to access them.
Image quality suffers noticeably at ISO 25600 and 51200, but they can be useful in very dim light.
Raw capture is also an option for more advanced photographers.
You'll need to work with photos in software before they're ready to share when shooting in Raw (we use Lightroom Classic CC).
The X-A5's Raw output shows strong detail through its entire ISO range, and while there's some noise at higher ISO settings, it's not overwhelming.
ISO settings above 12800 are not available when shooting in Raw format.
We don't expect 1080p to look as good as 4K, but we expect it to look as good as 1080p.
That's not the case with the X-A5.
Details in video are soft and muddy, in stark contrast to the camera's excellent still image quality.
There is a 2.5mm microphone input, a plus for serious video work, but unfortunately the general quality of the moving footage isn't up to snuff.
Conclusions
The Fujifilm X-A5 gives entry-level buyers access to the excellent X-mount lens system and brings very strong image quality to the table thanks to its 24MP image sensor and Fuji's processing engine.
But despite including a lot of good features, like on-sensor phase detection and 4K video capture, it just doesn't all come together.
If you're shopping for an entry-level mirrorless camera, look at the Sony a6000 ($549.99 at Dell Technologies) , our longtime Editors' Choice first.
It's not a brand new model, but it's still current and is priced the same as the X-A5 when bought with a lens.
We also recommend the Canon EOS M100 and the Panasonic GX85, especially if you're looking for a camera with a touch LCD.
If you're attracted to the X-A5 because of the Fujifilm lens system, think about spending a bit more and stepping up to an X-T20 ($999.00 at Amazon) or X-E3 ($699.95 at Amazon) instead.
Both models are in the $1,000 ballpark when bought with a lens, but they're also better performers.
Cons
Inconsistent focus speed.
4K video limited to 15fps.
No 30fps option for 1080p video.
No EVF.
View More
The Bottom Line
The Fujifilm X-A5 is an attractive mirrorless camera with very strong image quality, but it's held back by inconsistent autofocus performance.
You have to give credit to Fujiflim—it knows how to design a camera that will turn heads, even at the entry level.
The mirrorless X-A5 ($599.99 with 15-45mm lens) is very attractive, with a silver body and your choice of black, brown, or pink leatherette.
It doesn't disappoint when it comes to image quality, and includes Bluetooth for quick and painless image transfer to a smartphone.
But, even though this model adds phase detection to the XA series for the first time, it doesn't offer consistent autofocus performance.
We still recommend the Sony a6000 as our Editors' Choice entry-level mirrorless camera.
Design
The X-A5 ($499.95 at Amazon) is a slim mirrorless camera, with a silver plastic exterior wrapped in your choice of brown, black, or pink leatherette.
It measures 2.7 by 4.6 by 1.6 inches (HWD) and weighs 12.7 ounces without a lens.
The bundled zoom lens measures 1.7 by 2.5 inches (HD) and weighs 4.8 ounces, putting the kit at just a bit over a pound.
The X-A5 is the first camera to ship with the new 15-45mm power zoom lens, and you can read more about it in our review.
If you buy the lens separately it's priced at $299.
The body includes a built-in pop-up flash, at the left side of the top plate, and it has a hot shoe if you want to add an external flash or microphone.
To the right of the shoe there's a Mode dial, the power switch and shutter release, the Fn button, and a dedicated dial to adjust exposure compensation (or shutter speed when shooting in Manual mode).
All of the rear controls are located to the right of the LCD.
At the top there's a control dial to adjust aperture or shutter speed depending on your shooting mode, nestled into the top of the thumb rest.
Display/Back, Play, Q, and Record buttons are below it, flanking the four-way directional pad's corners.
Directional controls include Delete/AF (Up), White Balance (Right), Drive Mode (Down), and Self-Timer (Left).
The Menu/OK button is at the center.
You'll need to dive into the menu to configure the camera and perform tasks like formatting the memory card, but many more common adjustments are made via the Q menu.
Q offers adjustments to the ISO, autofocus mode, image quality and flash settings, and LCD brightness.
It's where you'll be able to choose your preferred Film Simulation mode—a feature unique to Fujifilm cameras that mimics the look of many films.
Color options include Classic Chrome, a muted look based on rival Kodak's Kodachrome slide film, and on the opposite end of the spectrum Velvia, which mimics Fuji's famously oversaturated and high-contrast landscape film.
There are also black-and-white and more traditional color looks (Provia, ProH).
You don't get all of the looks that Fujifilm offers in its cameras—there's no Acros monochrome option, nor is the new Eterna look included, and you can't customize the level of grain in photos as you can with pricier models like the X-T20 and X-E3.
Unlike pricier models, the buttons on the X-A5 don't have a premium feel.
This is evident not just from the overall plastic build (which isn't atypical for an entry-level camera), but also in the way the control buttons feel.
They press in with a loud click and while they aren't at all mushy, they do feel slightly chintzy.
The X-A5's mostly plastic body certainly contributes to its lightweight design.
But it also benefits from being a mirrorless camera—one that has an image sensor that's as big as you'll find in a consumer SLR, but without the extra weight necessitated by a flipping mirror and optical viewfinder.
Some mirrorless models include a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF), but the X-A5 doesn't—it relies solely on its rear display.
The LCD itself is premium, 3 inches in size with a crisp 1,040k-dot resolution and adjustable brightness that can be pumped up high for use outdoors on bright, sunny days.
It's touch sensitive, so you can tap on screen to set your focus point, swipe through images during playback, and navigate menus by touch.
The display is mounted on a hinge; it tilts up and down for low and high angle photography, and faces all the way forward for selfies.
Connectivity and Power
The X-A5 adds Bluetooth to the wireless bag of tricks, supplementing Wi-Fi to keep the connection between camera and phone active.
I was able to use it to keep the camera's clock set correctly, but not for file transfers.
You will need the Fujifilm Cam Remote app, free for Android and iOS, for file transfers and remote control to work.
Image transfer is not available via Bluetooth, so you'll still need to connect to the X-A5's Wi-Fi network, in some cases manually.
The Android app is able to change the network for you, but iOS doesn't let apps do that, so you'll need to intervene manually if your phone is already on a known network.
Physical connections include micro USB (which is used for charging the battery), micro HDMI, and a 2.5mm microphone input.
There's a standard SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot, located in the bottom of the same compartment as the removable battery.
The X-A5 uses the same battery as other Fujifilm mirrorless cameras; it's good for about 450 shots per charge according to CIPA testing standards.
Performance and Autofocus
The X-A5 requires about 2.5 seconds to start, focus, and fire with the 15-45mm lens.
I also checked the start-up time with the 35mm F2, a combination that netted a quicker 2.1-second time.
The 15-45mm needs to power on and extend to get ready to capture an image, which accounts for the difference.
The X-A5 has an on-sensor, hybrid autofocus system that incorporates contrast detection throughout the frame as well as phase detection in the center.
It's an ostensible upgrade from the pure contrast system used by the previous entry in the series, the X-A3.
See How We Test Digital Cameras
And when phase detection kicks in, the X-A5 focuses quickly, locking on to a target in a scant 0.1-second.
But it doesn't always work, even when the focus area is set to the central portion of the frame.
When the camera reverts to contrast focus it can take as long as 0.5-second to lock on, which is long enough for you to miss a shot.
The Sony a6000 also has a hybrid focus system, but is speedy even when it reverts to contrast acquisition.
The X-A5 has a decent burst capture rate, 6fps with locked focus, but a very small buffer.
It can only keep that pace for 6 Raw or Raw+JPG captures or 22 JPGs, and it can take between 3 seconds (JPG) and 10 seconds (Raw+JPG) to write a full burst to your memory card.
Switching to continuous focus—the mode you'll want to use when photographing moving subjects—slows the burst rate to about 4.6fps.
That's not bad for an entry-level camera, but the X-A5 doesn't do well keeping shots in focus.
It's slow to adjust to changes in focus, resulting in many shots in a row that are blurred.
Compare this with the a6000, which is just $50 more when bought with a lens and manages to keep moving subjects in focus at 11fps.
There is also an option to shoot at 15fps, but not in Raw format and not at 24MP.
The X-A5 utilizes its 4K video capture mode to shoot a movie, from which the camera can extract any frame.
The resulting JPG is 8MP, fine for social sharing or small prints.
As with stills focus will adjust when recording video, but can be slow to adjust to subject movement.
Imaging and Video
The X-A5 has a 24MP APS-C sensor.
Unlike other Fujifilm cameras, it uses a standard Bayer color filter, rather than the more complex X-Trans color filter, a technology that is exclusive to Fujifilm cameras.
X-Trans sensors pick up more detail as their design doesn't incorporate an Optical Low Pass Filter (OLPF), and also benefit from a more pleasing grain pattern with less color noise at higher ISO settings due to their six-by-six repeating color filter array, compared with the four-by-four pattern of a Bayer filter.
When shooting JPGs the X-A5 does an excellent job curbing image noise, keeping it under 1.5 percent through its top standard ISO 12800 sensitivity.
And while there is a bit of loss of fine detail when pushing the camera that far, image quality remains quite strong.
Just one stop down, at ISO 6400, JPG image quality is very strong, almost as good as it is at the camera's lowest ISO 200 setting, and at ISO 3200 the difference is nearly indistinguishable.
When shooting JPGs there are extended ISO settings available—as low as ISO 100 and as high as ISO 51200—but you need to dive into the camera menu to access them.
Image quality suffers noticeably at ISO 25600 and 51200, but they can be useful in very dim light.
Raw capture is also an option for more advanced photographers.
You'll need to work with photos in software before they're ready to share when shooting in Raw (we use Lightroom Classic CC).
The X-A5's Raw output shows strong detail through its entire ISO range, and while there's some noise at higher ISO settings, it's not overwhelming.
ISO settings above 12800 are not available when shooting in Raw format.
We don't expect 1080p to look as good as 4K, but we expect it to look as good as 1080p.
That's not the case with the X-A5.
Details in video are soft and muddy, in stark contrast to the camera's excellent still image quality.
There is a 2.5mm microphone input, a plus for serious video work, but unfortunately the general quality of the moving footage isn't up to snuff.
Conclusions
The Fujifilm X-A5 gives entry-level buyers access to the excellent X-mount lens system and brings very strong image quality to the table thanks to its 24MP image sensor and Fuji's processing engine.
But despite including a lot of good features, like on-sensor phase detection and 4K video capture, it just doesn't all come together.
If you're shopping for an entry-level mirrorless camera, look at the Sony a6000 ($549.99 at Dell Technologies) , our longtime Editors' Choice first.
It's not a brand new model, but it's still current and is priced the same as the X-A5 when bought with a lens.
We also recommend the Canon EOS M100 and the Panasonic GX85, especially if you're looking for a camera with a touch LCD.
If you're attracted to the X-A5 because of the Fujifilm lens system, think about spending a bit more and stepping up to an X-T20 ($999.00 at Amazon) or X-E3 ($699.95 at Amazon) instead.
Both models are in the $1,000 ballpark when bought with a lens, but they're also better performers.
Cons
Inconsistent focus speed.
4K video limited to 15fps.
No 30fps option for 1080p video.
No EVF.
View More
The Bottom Line
The Fujifilm X-A5 is an attractive mirrorless camera with very strong image quality, but it's held back by inconsistent autofocus performance.
